Michael Thornton, Yumi Hwang-Williams, and Andrew Litton offer exciting performances of two new horn trios as well as the much loved horn trio by Brahms.

Three phenomenal musicians (Michael Thornton, horn; Yumi Hwang-Williams, violin; Andrew Litton, piano) perform a program of works for horn, violin, and piano inspired by Brahms’ famous composition. The four movements of Eric Ewazen's Trio are modeled after the Brahms, with a four-movement, slow-fast-slow-fast scheme. Daniel Kellog's A Glorious Morning was commissioned by horn player Michael Thornton to accompany the recording of Brahms' Trio. Thornton is principal horn of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and is an avid chamber musician and a recognized soloist internationally. Yumi Hwang-Williams is concertmaster as well as frequent soloist with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and was concertmaster of the Cabrillo Music Festival for 12 years. Conductor/pianist Andrew Litton is newly appointed music director of the New York City Ballet as well as music director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Their performances of this repertoire are exciting and inspired.

Review:

"Brahms set the bar extraordinarily high for composers who set out to write for the complement of horn, violin and piano.…Bravo, then, to Eric Ewazen and Daniel Kellogg…Both works are superb additions to the chamber music literature, and so different from their illustrious predecessor as to avoid comparisons.…Glorious [Glorious Morning] it is, especially as played to the hild by hornist Michael Thornton, violinist Yumi Hwang-Williams and pianist Andrew Litton…Inspired, really." (Gramophone)

"There is a good reason why Eric Ewazen's Horn Trio is listed first, before Brahms's, the most famous example of its kind. Ewazen deliberately modeled his trio on Brahms's, and the inspiration paid dividends in spades. The disc's title, Inspired by Brahms, is entirely apt, for Ewazen's work is quite simply the best horn trio I have heard composed in the past 150 years, the kind of work I look forward to hearing many times more.…This disc can enthusaiastically be recommended as one of the best ever of the Brahms Trio, as well as a reminder that excellent new music can still be found if one looks in the right places." (Robert Markow, Fanfare)"…Thornton's heoric upward slurs are perfectly managed, and Litton finds just the right Brahmsian sound, while Hwang-Williams's tone provides much pleasure. It says huge amounts that his is a richly satisfying accoun of the Brahms that deserves a place on the shelf with the Brains'…This disc is not just for horn players: The music and the concept are too important for a restricted, niche market. I promise, this is well worthy of investigation, and I hope to hear more from both Michael Thornton and Yumi Hwang-Williams in the future." (Colin Clarke, Fanfare)